The Safe Compass

Rev. W.C. Lamain (1904-1984)

There is not a creature which shall ever be found in this world that will be able to fully explain and declare the full value of God’s Word. We can, by virtue of revelation of the Lord Himself in His Word and the revelation in our heart, say something about it, yet we become aware that we are blind and foolish. That Word speaks of eternity, and who, in this time state, can explain eternity? Oh no, not one finite person is able to express the glory of the Infinite God.

Our understanding is darkened, and even though there is no lack or anything missing in the work of God, here everything remains in part only. May God by His dear Spirit enlighten our understanding and grant us grace to be able, through Christ who is the Chief Wisdom, to be enlightened and instructed, to be able to write something about it to His honor, for learning, conversion, and instruction for souls traveling to that great eternity.

We all find ourselves, young and old, rich and poor, great and small, upon the ocean of life. We are all traveling through this time state to eternity. Even as a compass is indispensable upon the great waters, so also is God’s Word indispensable on our journey through this life. A compass is an instrument that points to the heavenly regions. It is a type of box with a post in the center upon which a magnetic needle can move freely to the north or to the south, which is a very valuable aid for seafarers. We can, with every justification, also call God’s Word a compass.

God’s Word stands above everything. That Word has been inspired by God. Holy men of old, directed by the Holy Spirit, have written that Word. In writing it they could not stray. God’s Spirit has directed their pen. That Word has godly authority. It is not the word of a person but of the only true God who cannot lie. That Word comes to us with godly authority time and again. The Scriptures cannot be broken (John 10:35). She does not derive her authority from the church, public declarations, nor from the conscience, but only in her godly origin and content.

That authority has a unique character. It stands above all other authority, above all legal relationships among people, and above all moral and ethical authority in both science and art. That authority is absolute and does not tolerate any opposition. That Word requires our voluntary submission of both the will and the understanding, yea, of the entire person upon all terrain of this life. In every conflict that arises between the authority of Scripture with any other, the apostolic word dictates that God should be obeyed more than man.

The Holy Scriptures are necessary. With emphasis the Lord Jesus has said, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). Rome teaches that the Scriptures are dependent upon and come forth from the church. According to her, the Bible is of great importance but is not necessary. Also, throughout the ages, false mysticism has ignored the necessity of the Scriptures. The internal light of the Spirit stands above it. The Scriptures can be a help and good for those who are less advanced, but the leading of the Spirit exceeds her.

May God spare us for the one as well as the other because in both of the directions mentioned, the certainty and the necessity of the Scriptures are undermined. God’s Word is the revelation of God to us, and the Holy Spirit uses it to the salvation of the elect. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing is by the Word of God.”

That Word is also clear. Just hear what David may say of it in Psalm 119:105, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” It is true that we cannot understand everything which is written in that Word. In that Word there remain unsearchable mysteries which we can never fathom. Peter also states that in the epistles of Paul there are some things which are difficult to understand. We must, however, properly differentiate between the knowing and the understanding of the mysteries of God.

God has revealed as much in His Word as is necessary for us to know for our salvation. The way of salvation lies so transparent and clear before our eyes that a child can understand it. It always remains true that the natural man does not understand the things of the Spirit because they are spiritual. That is why the renewing of the heart and the enlightening of the Spirit are necessary to understand the truth of the Holy Scriptures and to admire the wonders of God’s grace. God, through His Spirit, must open our hearts for His witness and, by His Spirit, lead us into all truth.

God’s Word is also sufficient. We do not need the traditions of men to go along with the Holy Scriptures as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. God’s people can heartily concur with what David sang in Psalm 19 (Psalter 40:1):

The law that the Lord has ordained
Is perfect, the soul to restore;
His truth makes the simple most wise,
The truth that is sure evermore.

We have precious writings from our forefathers, or as it is also sometimes described, “aged corn.” Oh, that we would value these writings which have been left behind and value them highly. Many mock with them, and by others they are covered with dust. Among our people there can still be found many who have bookcases full of such precious food which they have obtained from father, mother, or grandparents, but in general the hunger is lacking.

However, in these meager and dry days, there is still from time to time something published and made available. Let us not despise it but value what God still gives us in these days. There are evidences that God has not completely departed from us with His Spirit, even though the glory of the Lord is come down to the threshold of His house (Ezekiel 9:3). God maintains and refreshes His people under the administration of the Word and under the reading of the writings of deceased and still living ministers.

Yet, God’s Word stands above it all. There is no other document which we may place above God’s Word. That precious, infallible, unchangeable, and eternal Word of God reveals God’s laws and testimonies (Deuteronomy 4:13&14); it contains the godly prophecies (Luke 24:27); it contains the promises of the gospel and salvation (Luke 1:70-75); and it testifies of Christ (John 5:39).

To say it simply, we must firmly state that not everything that has been revealed in the passing of the ages has been included in the Scriptures. However, all that God has revealed, insofar as it has a permanent relevance throughout the ages, He has caused to be recorded by His prophets and apostles through godly inspiration. Ail that God had to say unto us He has so made known, and the greatest revelation is contained in the Word becoming flesh. Christ has declared the Father (John 1:18), and the work of the Holy Spirit is not to give new revelations but to apply that which has been revealed and to illuminate it. Everything which He proclaims proceeds out of the fullness of Christ.

That Word can make us wise unto salvation. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That Word is pure (Psalm 12:6), is truth (2 Samuel 7:28), is sure (Psalm 19:7), is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), and is a light (Psalm 119:105). It shall be as the rain and as the dew (Deuteronomy 32:2); it is like a fire and a hammer which breaketh the rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29); it is as a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).

How blessed are they who may learn to know and embrace that Word in their heart in such a manner. How blessed are they who may experience the liberating and sanctifying power of that Word. Oh, let each and every one examine, between God and his soul, whether that Word, through the operation of the Spirit, has come with power into his heart. The time is short. Let everyone consider and pray that it may be placed upon our heart. Have we ever fallen under that Word? Have we ever tasted the sweetness of that Word? David says that it is “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.”

How terrible it will be if that Word, wherein the full revelation of God’s thoughts are in Christ Jesus, shall one day judge us and testify against us eternally! That it may please God to spare us from that judgment. Young and old, great and small, examine it prayerfully and in the fear of the Lord. Boys and girls, put away all novels, all that is worthless, yea, all soul-destructive reading. How great it would be if God the Holy Spirit would unworthily apply that Word to your soul. What an indescribable blessing it would become for your soul.

People of the Lord, could it be that the Spirit of the Lord would give more and more light over that Word in your soul—that the Word which became flesh may be known and embraced by you more and more so that you may exalt Him as your highest joy, but also that, with Him, you may end in God. May God’s Spirit be pleased to direct you to that Word.

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